The Grammys Award for Best Rap Performance was first introduced in 1989 for only two years as hip-hop was in the midst of its golden era. That didn't necessarily mean they got it right, choosing the most Middle America-friendly cuts from DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Fresh Prince and Young MC. It was suspended until 2012 when it was revived once again with consecutive wins by Kanye West and Jay Z together, followed by Macklemore and Kendrick Lamar. Now in 2016, Kanye is back with "All Day" and he is up against other heavyweights in J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Nicki Minaj and Fetty Wap.
Nominees:
J. Cole - Apparently
Drake - Back To Back
Fetty Wap - Trap Queen
Kendrick Lamar - Alright
Nicki Minaj featuring Drake & Lil Wayne - Truffle Butter
Kanye West featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney - All Day
Who Should Win - Kendrick Lamar - Alright
Fetty Wap's "Trap Queen" was big, but his competition also put out big records with more substance. J. Cole is outmatched in the lyrical lane and Nicki Minaj, Drake and Lil Wayne are outgunned by Kendrick, Kanye and Drake's solo effort.
"Back To Back" was the best diss track we have heard in a long time, putting Meek Mill in the ground despite all the momentum he had accumulated from his album Dreams Worth More Than Money. It also revived the discussion of ghost writing in hip-hop, which Drake was able to shake off, in part due to this track. However it just feels like the Grammy should go to a song that was an afterthought in a battle between two egos.
This is very close between "All Day" and "Alright." "All Day" was the track of 2015 for Kanye and was hit most aggressive following the downtempo almost ballads in "FourFiveSeconds" and "Only One."
Kendrick Lamar will probably win best song, but it also his performance and delivery that makes "Alright" special. It is really a toss-up between these two though.
Who Will Win: Kanye West featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney - All Day
It is hard to imagine Fetty Wap winning this one. J. Cole and Nicki Minaj seem to have little chance here, though their nominations were noteworthy enough. It was surprising to see Drake getting a diss track in the nominations, which means the voters were tuned in enough to see the how big this beef got, but it doesn't seem likely that they will award Drake the Grammy for something that didn't appear as an official single.
It will come down to Kanye West's "All Day" and Kendrick's "Alright." Either way K.Dot wins because of his songwriting credit on "All Day." The voters have loved collaborations in the category and Kanye is two-time winner with the added bonus of a Beatle, Paul McCartney. Kendrick will get this due elsewhere.
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